Saturday, January 23, 2010

Even with Scott Brown changing the numbers in the U.S. Senate, Nancy Pelosi and House members can still pass Harry Reid’s awful Senate version of the federal health care takeover bill. We cannot let down our guard.

Scroll down for info about Honking for Health Care Freedom events in Yavapai County, which will take place in Prescott and Prescott Valley on Friday, January 29.

The Arizona chapter of Americans for Prosperity extends a big and heartyTHANK YOUto theTucson Tea Partyand to all of the AFP Arizona activists from Pima and Cochise Counties who turned out last Thursday afternoon for the Honking for Health Care Freedom protest in front of the Tucson office ofCongresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

NEXT ACTION ITEM: ANN KIRKPATRICKOurHonking for Health Care Freedomcampaign is targeting members of the House of Representatives as they move the national health care takeover bill through House-Senate reconciliation process. So far this month, AFP Arizona and our allies have held three protest events in the districts currently represented byHarry MitchellandGabrielle Giffords. Our next target is CongresswomanAnn Kirkpatrick. But we have to move quickly. We have a very short window to put a lot of pressure on Kirkpatrick.

Remember: Nancy Pelosi’s national health care takeover bill passed in the House by only three votes in November—with a five-vote difference between yes votes and no votes!

That means that Kirkpatrick, Giffords and Mitchell helped to provide the crucial three votes needed to pass the Pelosi bill. That was a big mistake on their part. But they can still turn back and do right by the people of their districts.

We’re pretty sure thatAnn Kirkpatrick is not crazy. She had the sense to vote against the cap-and-trade bill, knowing that the scheme would hurt energy producers and consumers in her district.

But Kirkpatrick did vote for Nancy Pelosi’s crazy national health care takeover bill. We must work very hard right now to get Kirkpatrick to think again about the dozens of heinous elements in that bill--elements that will (barring some miracle) end up in the final bill:

•Prison terms and/or gigantic fines for individuals who do not obey the federal government’s mandate to sign up for one of the (expensive) federally approved health insurance plans and do not pay the resulting tax penalty.

•Federal government regulatory takeover of health insurance.

•Severely limited insurance choices for families and businesses.

•The abolition of low-premium, high-deductible plans like HSAs.

•Skyrocketing insurance premiums.

•Ballooning federal deficits and huge tax increases…

•…followed by price ceilings that will lead to shortages of medical services…

•…which means government rationing of health care.

We also know that Kirkpatrick has a decent reputation (so far) as a public official who does not aid and abet corruption.We need to remind Kirkpatrick how completely disgusted the public iswith Ben Nelson’s “Cornhusker Kickback,” Mary Landrieu’s “Louisiana Purchase,” and the many other sweetheart deals used to scrounge up the final votes for Reid’s Senate bill.

Here’s ourBig Question for Ann Kirkpatrick and other Members of Congress: If these health care “reforms” are so good,why did so many Senators have to be bought off?

DETAILS FOR THE TWO YAVAPAI COUNTY EVENTS JANUARY 29In Yavapai County, AFP Arizona will team up with Tea Party activists for a specialHonking for Health Care Freedomprotest at the intersection of Highway 69 and Lake Valley Road in Prescott Valley, onFriday, January 29, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.We will meet at 3:00 pm near the Subway at 7584 Highway 69, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314-2278, and then take our signs out to the intersection of 69 and Lake Valley Road.

For those who cannot make the afternoon event in Prescott Valley, we will also participate in thelunchtime Honking for Health Care Freedom protest at Kirkpatrick’s officeat 240 South Montezuma in downtown Prescott 86303. AFP Arizona activists will be at that office from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. (Those familiar with Prescott’s geography will understand why we need to hold a second event out in Prescott Valley. Out on busy Route 69, we will get our message to thousands of commuters and other motorists.) If you have the time, we strongly encourage you to attend both of the Kirkpatrick protests. She needs to hear our message loudly, clearly, and several times, if necessary.

If you live in the district of Congresswoman Kirkpatrick, please keep the pressure on by calling her at her offices. Her Prescott number is 928-445-3434. Her Casa Grande number is 520-836-3226. Her Flagstaff number is 928-226-6914. Her online contact page is here:https://forms.house.gov/kirkpatrick/dc-contact-form.shtml

IF YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE ON JANUARY 29We strongly urge you to join us at the Honking for Health Care Freedom events at Congressional offices around the state on January 29. But if you cannot make any of those events, please remember thatthis is a Do-It-Yourself Revolution. You can hold a very effective Honking for Health Care Freedom protest in your own town, in your own neighborhood.

You do not need to make huge signs like we’ve done for the Scottsdale, Tucson, and Prescott/PV protests. Butyou do need to get out to the streets—and quickly. An easy way to get the message across is to paintvery large letterson individual pieces of poster board, and then line up your activist friends to spell out a simple message, such as HONK 2 STOP OBAMACARE. Go with your group to a busy intersection during rush hour, and be sure to take YouTube videos (and audio!) of the honking cars. If your group is really motivated,go out during rush hour several times during the next month. Too many of your neighbors do not understand how vitally important this battle is.They will need to see and hear the message of health care freedom several times before they remember it.